In radio-frequency (RF) discharges, the electron-depleted sheath occupies only a fraction of the volume but governs many
of the phenomena.
Its electric field exceeds that of the plasma by more than three orders of magnitude and
plays an important role in the processes of particle acceleration and power absorption.
The relation between the sheath charge \(Q\)  and the sheath
voltage \(V\)  controls the
discharge impedance.
A solid understanding
of the physics of the sheath is thus of technological value. Much research bears witness to this
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